Garment brushing machine



p 7, 1965 s. 1.. KINGSTON 3,204,271

GARMENT BRUSHING MACHINE Filed June 10, 1963 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 m Sfznlg A((1% Alp/2.44mi aw fflwroruoaY/ Sept. 7, 1965 s. L. KINGSTON GARMENTBRUSHING MACHINE 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed June 10, 1963 uvcwrox dd x-.5

CATTOWJQFLY/ United States Patent 3,204,271 GARMENT BRUSHXNG MACHINEStanley L. Kingston, 702 Kishwaukee St., Rockford, Ill. Filed June 10,1963, Ser. No. 286,771 Claims. (Q1. 151.5)

This invention relates to a garment brushing machine of the typeincluding a casing having a top wall with an opening therein throughwhich garments can be lowered into the interior of the casing andbetween two side-by-side brushes rotating in opposite directions to drawa garment downwardly between them and brush the opposite sides of thegarment.

Machines of this general type have been used heretofore to remove dustand dirt from relatively sturdy articlessuch as trouser cuffs and tannedhides and skins where it is permissible to subject the article torelatively heavy brushing pressure or to brush an article for aprolonged period of time. Despite the fact that such machines have beenknown for many years, however, dry cleaning establishments and othersconcerned with the commercial removal of lint from more delicatearticles such as knitted sweaters, silk dresses, and evening clotheshave found it necessary to rely on hand brushing or other equallytime-consuming operations to remove lint without damage to the garmentand to card the garment, that is, to brush out knots and curls and raisethe nap of the material. It has been said that lint removal now is theprimary problem facing the dry cleaning industry.

The problem of commercial lint removal by dry cleaners is complicated bythe fact that the dry cleaning process produces static electricity ingarments thereby causing lint to be attracted and adhere to thegarments. Further, the static charge is increased when garments arebrushed. While it is known that the formation of static electricity maybe prevented by wetting the brushes, such treatment has not beenpracticable with brushes of the common types having bristles that becomesoft and easily deformed when wet, or otherwise are damaged by wettingas is the case with most of the garments handled by a dry cleaner.

Accordingly, the general object of the present invention is to provide anovel machine for effectively removing lint and accumulated foreignparticles even from very delicate garments and carding the same quicklyand without danger of damage to the garments.

Another object is to enhance the appearance and texture of garments byremoving accumulated lint and foreign particles that dull the colors ofthe garments.

A further object is to remove water soluble soils remaining on thegarments after the usual dry cleaning operation in a quick and easymanner as an incident to the lint removing operation.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will become apparent fromthe following detailed description taken in connection with theaccompanying drawings, in which FIGURE 1 is a fragmentary perspectiveview of a garment brushing machine embodying the novel features of thepresent invention.

FIG. 2 is a fragmentary sectional view taken along the line 22 of FIG.1.

FIG. 3 is a fragmentary sectional view taken along the line 3-3 of FIG.2 with parts broken away and shown in section.

FIG. 4 is a schematic perspective view of the piping of the machine.

As shown in the drawings for purposes of illustration, the invention isembodied in a garment brushing machine including a hollow casing havinga top wall formed with an opening 11 through which the garment 12 (FIG.2) to be brushed can be lowered between two or with materials thatshrink 3,204,271 Patented Sept. '7, 1965 "ice side-by-side brushes 13and 14 in the casing rotated in opposite directions to draw the lowerend portion of the garment downwardly between brushes and then brush theopposite sides of the garment as the latter is pulled upwardly betweenthe brushes. The spacing of the brushes is adjustable to apply thedesired brushing pressure to the garment, and a vacuum pump 15communicates with the chamber 17 below the brushes through an outlet 18to collect and dispose of particles removed from the garments by thebrushes. A horizontal grating 19 disposed between the brushes and theoutlet prevents garments from being sucked into the vacuum pump.

The casing 10 is formed by a plurality of sheet metal plates mounted ona frame including four upright angle bar legs 20, horizontal crossbars21 (FIG. 1) spanning and secured to the tops of the front and rear legson each side, parallel crossbars 22 spanning the front and rear legsintermediate the ends thereof, and two angle bars 23 (FIG. 2) spanningthe two front legs and the two rear legs just below the grating 19. Thegrating rests on the tops of these angle bars. Another angle bar 24 isfastened across the lower end portions of the rear legs.

The front and rear walls 25 and 27 of the casing are formed by twoupright rectangular plates screwed at 28 to the legs of the frame, andeach of the side walls comprises two vertical plates 29 and 30. Theupper plate 29 is fastened to the top angle bar 21 and to the outeredges of the associated front and rear legs with its lower edge 31(FIG. 1) adjacent the level of the grating. The lower plate 30 is oifsetinwardly from the upper plate and overlaps the bottom of the latter asindicated by the broken line 32 in FIG. 1, this plate being fastened tothe inner side of the assocated front and rear legs and extendingdownwardly below the crossbar 22.

To form the bottom of the casing 10, a curved plate 33 (FIG. 2) issecured to the front wall plate 25 below the grating 19 and curvesdownwardly and rearwardly at 34 toward the rear wall 27, the rearportion of the bottom plate preferably being horizontal and beingfastened as by welding to the rear wall. The vacuum outlet 18 is formedin the rear wall just above the bottom wall of the chamber. The casingis completed by two elongated rectangular guard plates 35 and 37spanning the top crossb-ars 21 and fastened thereto by screws 38 (FIG.1). The outer edges of the guard plates abut against the upper edges ofthe front and rear plates 25 and 27, and the inner edges of the platesare spaced apart to define the opening 11 which takes the form of a slotextending across the full length of the casing and centered over thechamber 17. The adjacent edge portions 39 of the guard plates are bentdownwardly to eliminate sharp edges that could damage clothing.

With this arrangement the chamber 17 is substantially enclosed by thecasing 10. Thus, as air is evacuated from the chamber 'by the volumepump 15, outside air is sucked into the chamber through the slot 11. Thevacuum pump may be of any suitable construction and herein dischargesair from the chamber into a filter bag 40.

In this instance, the brushes 13 and 14 also extend across the fulllength of the casing 10 with the space between the brushes generallycentered beneath the slot 11. The brushes are of a well known andreadily available construction including cylindrical wooden bodies 41with resilient bristles which may be composed of Manila fiber fast onthe bodies and projecting radially outwardly, preferably in closelyspaced relation to form a substantially cylindrical periphery on eachbrush comprising the exposed ends of the bristles. Trunnions 42 formounting the brushes rotatably on the support formed by the casing andthe frame are fast on the ends of the brush bodies and coaxialtherewith.

To rotate the brushes, the trunnions 42 on the lefthand side of thecasing project through the side wall 29 and two pulleys 43 are mountedon the projecting end portions of the trunnions and rotated by anelectric motor 44 through V-belts 45 and 46 trained around the pulleysand around drive pulleys 47 fast on the motor shaft, one of the beltsbeing twisted whereby the brushes are rotated in opposite directions asindicated by the arrows in FIG. 2. The motor is supported below thecasing on a base plate 48.

A garment 12 to be brushed is lowered through the slot 11 and betweenthe brushes 13 and 14 and is pulled downwardly by the brushes into thechamber 17. Then, as the garment is pulled upwardly, particles loosenedby the brushes are drawn into the vacuum pump along with the air flowinginwardly through the slot and between the brushes and through thebristles thereof to the pump.

As previously stated, machines of this general type are known and havebeen used for brushing dust from hides or removing dirt from the cuffsof trousers where heavy or prolonged brushing pressure may be usedwithout damage to the article being brushed. The prior art machines arenot suited, however, for use in lint removal or carding of a largeportion of the garments received for dry cleaning because of thedelicate nature of the material and the static electricity developed inthe garments during the dry cleaning process. Accordingly, commerciallint removal and carding in dry cleaning establishments heretofore hasbeen accomplished by laborious, time-consuming, and therefore expensivehand brushing. In especially difficult cases, it sometimes has beennecessary to remove lint by pressing a strip of adhesive materialagainst the garment.

In accordance with the primary aspect of the present invention, a jet 49of dry steam is directed against the portion of the garment 12 withinthe chamber 17 below the brushes 13 and 14 to humidify the garment andthereby dissipate static electricity in the garment before the latter ispulled upwardly between the brushes, and excess steam immediately isdrawn out of the chamber by the vacuum pump 15 thereby to avoid wettingof either the garment or the brushes. After the static electricity isdissipated, light brushing pressure is sufficient to remove lint andother particles on the. garmentquickly and without harm to the garment.

In the present instance, the dry steam is directed to ward the portionof the garment immediately below the brushes by a plurality of nozzles50 formed by holes spaced longitudinally at intervals of one andone-half to two inches along a pipe 51 extending generally horizontallythrough the chamber 17 along the rear wall 27 of the casing 10 anddisposed somewhat below the level of the brushes. The nozzle holes aredrilled horizontally through the front side of the pipe to direct steamforwardly in a plurality of generally horizontal jets 49 that mergebelow the brushes and form a curtain of steam that impinges against theentire width of the garment. The total area of the holes is such thatthe entire length of the spray pipe is pressurized and steam issues fromall the holes in substantially identical jets.

On one side of the casing 10, the right-hand side as viewed in FIG. 4,the spray pipe 51 communicates with an upright pipe section 51 connectedto a supply pipe 51 communicating with the usual central steam source(not shown) of the dry cleaning establishment which supplies steam underpressure ordinarily on the order of 85 to 90 psi. To remove waterdroplets and sediment from the steam before it enters the spray pipe, awell 56 is provided below the joint between the spray pipe and thevertical pipe section 51 so that droplets settle into the well. Further,the spray pipe is inclined at a slight angle downwardly to the left(FIG. 4) so that any water that collects in the pipe as a result ofcondensation drains through the pipe into a depending pipe section 52formed with a restricted bleed opening spaced below its upper end. Thesize of the bleed opening is controlled by a pet cock 52. Thus, waterdrains out of the spray pipe through the pipe 52 and the bleed opening,and the latter permits disposal of the water while maintaining the steampressure within the spray pipe.

A suitable selectively operable valve 53 is interposed between thenozzles 50 and the steam source to control the release of steam into thespray pipe 51 and thence into the chamber 17. Herein, this valve is ofthe solenoidoperated type controlled by a foot pedal 54 which, whendepressed, energizes the solenoid 55 to open the valve and admit steaminto the pipe. The foot pedal is mounted on a flexible cable 57 whichpermits placement of the foot pedal wherever desired- A manuallyadjustable rate valve 53 controls the amount of steam admitted into thespray pipe when the valve 53 is open.

In operation, with the vacuum pump 15 and the brush motor 44- operating,the foot pedal 54 is depressed as a garment is lowered between thebrushes 13 and 14 as shown in FIG. 12, and steam issues through thenozzles 50 in jets 49 directed toward the portion of the garment belowthe brushes thereby to humidify the garment and dissipate staticelectricity in the garment. While the lower sides of the brushes areexposed to the steam deflected by the garment, the constant flow of airthrough the slot 11 and around and through the brushes immediatelycarries this steam toward and into the vacuum pump to prevent wetting ofthe brushes and prolonged exposure of the garment to the steam. Thelength of time the foot pedal should be depressed varies with the natureof the material and the amount of lint thereon, and is best determinedby experience with the machine.

Similarly, the brushing time varies with the nature and condition of thematerial. With some garments, one pass between the brushes could besuflicient, but with most garments it is desirable to work the garmentup and down between the brushes several times. Of course, the clothingmay be folded initially and refolded and reversed until all surfaceshave been brushed, steam being applied each time a new surface islowered between the brushes. I have discovered that treatment with thismachine not only removes obvious lint but also greatly enhances theappearance of practically all materials by brightening the colorsthereof. The color change is attributed to removal of accumulatedforeign matter that clings to or is imbedded in the material and hasbeen unaffected by the hand brushing heretofore relied upon for lintremoval and carding. Moreover, the knots and curls formed by externaltangles in the yarn of the material are quickly and easily brushed out.It is believed that the slight moistening of the fabric not onlydissipates static electricity but also softens the yarn, making it morepliable and easily brushed out with a minimum of breakage of fibers.

The results achieved with this machine have been exceptional. Forexample, hand brushing of a sweater previously required as much as tento fifteen minutes whereas such brushing now is completed in a matter ofseconds with results superior to those achieved by hand brushing. Solittle time is required that all dry cleaned clothing may be treated.

One of the brushes 13, 14 is mounted to yield relative to the other whenbulky articles or parts of articles pass between the brushes thereby toprevent the application of excessive brushing pressure that could damagethe article. For this purpose, the trunnions 42 of the brush 14 arejournaled in bushings 58 fast as by welding in the side walls 29 of thecasing 10, and the trunnions of the brush 13 are journaled in bushings59 fast in the upper end portions of elongated parallel arms 60 pivotedon the frame to swing the brush 13 toward and away from the other brushabout an axis 61 spaced below the brushes, and paralleling the brushaxes.

Herein, the arms 60 are disposed adjacent the opposite sides of themachine and are pivoted intermediate their ends on the horizontalcrossbars 22 with the upper end portions of the arms projecting into thechamber 17 through the elongated slots formed between the offset sidewall plates 29 and 39. To accommodate swinging of the brush 13, thetrunnions 42 thereof project through arcuate slots 62 in the plate 29.

The lower ends of the arms 60 are connected together by a crosspiece 63and a pair of tension springs 64 are stretched between the lower anglebar 24 and the crosspiece to urge the arms counterclockwise (FIG. 2)about the axis 61 and swing the brush 13 toward the brush 14. To limitsuch swinging and hold the brushes in properly spaced relation for lightbrushing engagement with a garment, adjustable stops 65 comprising theends of bolts 67 threaded through nuts 68 fast on the frame arepositioned in the path of swinging of the arms to abut against thelatter and normally hold the movable brush in a position determined bythe adjustment of the stops. The bolts project through the front wall 25of the casing with knobs 69 fast on the outer ends to facilitate turningof the bolts relative to the nuts to adjust the normal spacing of thebrushes.

If a garment that is substantially thicker than the selected width ofthe space between the brushes should be lowered between the brushes, themovable brush yields away from the fixed brush as permitted by thesprings 64 to avoid the application of excessive pressure to thegarment. The same is true when a shoulder pad or the like passes betweenthe brushes.

The invention also contemplates the provision of novel means for quicklyand easily removing water soluble soils not removed in the normalcleaning operation. For this purpose, a selectively operable spottinggun 70 is mounted on the top wall of the casing 10 in an out-of-the- Wayposition but in position to direct a jet of steam toward spots on thegarment discovered by the operator during de-linting. After a spot hasbeen treated with a jet of steam long enough to dampen the soiled areaof the garment, the operator simply lowers the soiled portion in betweenthe brushes to be cleaned thereby.

Herein, the spotting gun 70 comprises a nozzle clamped in a bracket 71screwed to and upstanding from the rear guard plate 35 adjacent themiddle of the casing with the discharge end of the nozzle inclineddownwardly and forwardly to direct a concentrated jet of steam toward acentral portion of the exposed surface of the fixed brush 14. Steam issupplied to the nozzle through a manually adjustable rate valve 72(FIGS. 1 and 4), a second valve 72 opened and closed by a solenoid 73controlled by a second foot pedal 74 on a flexible cable 75, and a pipe76 communicating with the supply pipe 51 Steam is returned to the sourcethrough a return line indicated generally at 77. A branch line 77between the well 56 and the return line returns overflowing water to thesource. A temperature-operated steam trap 77 maintains steam pressure inthe system.

When a spot is discovered, the operator simply positions the spottedarea in front of the nozzle, depresses the pedal momentarily to applysteam to the spot, and then lowers the garment until the spotted area ispulled between the brushes. It will be seen that the brushes not onlyremove the soil after the steam treatment but also cooperate in holdingthe garment taut and in position before the nozzle as steam is appliedto the spotted area. It should be understood that only a limited area ofthe garment is dampened for spot-cleaning thereby avoiding any problemof shrinkage. Moreover, the immediate brushing of the area not onlyremoves the soil but also feather-edges the damp spot to distribute themoisture and avoid so-called rimming of the garment, that is, theforming of obvious water spots on the material.

In view of the fact that wetting weakens the bristles of most brushesand repeated exposure of the bristles to a concentrated jet of steam candeform the bristles of the exposed area, it is desirable to protect theexposed area with a ring 78 of material not susceptible to deformationby the steam jet. This ring may be composed of any suitable relativelyfirm material and is fastened to the body 41 of the brush 13 inlongitudinal alignment with the nozzle 70, the ring having approximatelythe same outside diameter as the periphery of the brush. Thus, the ringprevents the formation of a groove in the brush and provides a firmbacking for the soiled portion of the garment as the latter is sprayedfor spot cleaning.

From the foregoing, it will be apparent that the machine describedherein is capable of removing lint and brushing out knots and curls in aquick and easy operation even on very delicate garments such as knittedsweaters without danger of damage to the garments. As a result oftreatment by the machine, the garments are substantailly lint free and,further, the color of the material is brightened and renewed.

I claim as my invention:

1. A garment brushing machine including, in combination, a supportincluding a hollow casing having an upper wall with an elongatedslot-like opening therein through which garments can be lowered, a pairof cylindrical brushes disposed within said casing below said openingand journaled on said support for rotation about parallel horizontalaxes with the peripheral surfaces of said brushes closely adjacent eachother to engage the oppoe site sides of a garment lowered between them,means for rotating said brushes in opposite directions to draw a garmentdownwardly between them, a series of nozzles spaced longitudinally ofsaid brushes within said casing and positioned below said brushes todirect jets of steam against the portion of the garment below thebrushes thereby to humidify the garment and dissipate static electricitytherein, selectively operable means for delivering steam to saidnozzles, means for applying vacuum to the interior of said casing belowsaid brushes to carry away the steam along with particles of lint freedfrom the garment by the brushes, and a grating interposed between saidbrushes and said vacuum means for preventing said garment from beingsucked into said vacuum means.

2. A garment brushing machine including, in combination, a supportincluding a hollow casing having an elongated opening in its upper endthrough which garments can be lowered, a pair of brushes in generallyhorizontal side by side relation below said opening parallel to thelonger axis thereof and journaled on said support for rotation with theperipheries of said brushes spaced to engage the opposite sides of agarment lowered through said opening, means for rotating said brushes inopposite directions to draw a garment downwardly between them and intosaid casing, a nozzle positioned to direct a jet of steam against atleast a portion of the garment below said brushes, foot operated meansfor delivering steam to said nozzle and thence against the garment tohumidity the garment and dissipate static electricity therein, and meansfor creating a flow of air downwardly between and past said brushesthereby to carry away the steam along with particles of lint and thelike freed from the garment by the brushes.

3. A garment brushing machine as defined in claim 1 in which saidnozzles comprise generally horizontally facing holes spacedlongitudinally along a pipe disposed beneath and generally parallel toone of said brushes to direct said jets laterally across the interior ofsaid casing beneath the brushes.

4. A garment brushing machine including, in combination, a supportincluding a hollow casing having an elongated opening in its upper endthrough which garments can be lowered, a pair of brushes disposed belowsaid opening generally parallel to the longer axis thereof and journaledon said support for rotation with the peripheries of the brushes spacedto engage the opposite sides of a garment lowered through said opening,means for rotating said brushes in opposite directions to draw a garmentdownwardly between them and into said opening, a nozzle positioned todirect a jet of steam against at least a portion of the garment belowsaid brushes, selectively operable control means for delivering steam tosaid nozzle and thence against the garment to humidity the garment anddissipate static electricity therein, and means for creating a flow ofair downwardly between and past said brushes thereby to carry away thesteam along with'particles of lint and the like freed from the garmentby the brushes, a further nozzle mounted on said support above one ofsaid brushes in position to direct a concentrated jet of steam towardthe upper portion of a garment while the lower portion of the garment isbetween the brushes, and selectively operable means for supplying steamunder pressure to said nozzle whereby a selected soiled area of thegarment is spot cleaned as an incident to lint removal by positioningsaid area in the path of said jet, applying a jet of steam to the area,and subsequently lowering the area between said brushes.

5. In a garment brushing machine, the combination of, a support, a pairof brushes journaled on said support for rotation about spaced axes withthe peripheral surfaces of the brushes closely adjacent each other toengage the opposite sides of a garment lowered between the brushes,means for rotating said brushes in opposite directions to draw the lowerend portion of the garment downwardly between them, a nozzle mounted onsaid support above one of said brushes in position to direct aconcentrated jet of steam toward an upper portion of the other brush andthus against a selected area of the upper portion of a garment while thelower portion of the garment is between the brushes, selectivelyoperable means for supplying steam under pressure to said nozzle wherebysaid selected area is spot cleaned by positioning said area in the pathof said jet, applying a jet of steam to the area, and subsequentlylowering the area between said brushes, and a ring of relatively firmmaterial encircling the portion of said other brush in the path of saidjet thereby to form a backing for the garment during steam treatmentthereof and prevent deformation of said other brush by said jet.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 437,349 9/90Rooney 154l 1,766,512 6/30 I-Iausmann 15-308 X 2,295,718 9/42 Dahlberg685.2 2,546,288 3/51 Zucker 15-40 X 2,625,703 1/53 Devau 15-3112,696,014 12/54 Richter Kessing 1540 2,977,784 4/61 Schraber 15-40 XFOREIGN PATENTS 138,312 8/50 Australia.

945,683 7/56 Germany.

WALTER A. SCHEEL, Primary Examiner.

1. A GARMENT BRUSHING MACHINE INCLUDING, IN COMBINATION, A SUPPORT INCUDING A HOLLOW CASING HAVING AN UPPER WALL WITH AN ELONGATED SLOT-LIKE, OPENING THEREIN THROUGH WHICH GARMENTS CAN BE LOWERED, A PAIR OF CYLINDRICAL BRUSHED DISPOSED WITHIN SAID CASING BELOW SAID OPENING AND JOURNALED ON SAID SUPPORT FOR ROTATION ABOUT PARALLEL HORIZONTAL AXES WITH THE PERIPHERAL SURFACES OF SAID BRUSHES CLOSELY ADJACENT EACH OTHER TO ENGAGE THE OPPOSITE SIDES OF A GARMENT LOWERED BETWEEN THEM, MEANS FOR ROTATING SAID BRUSHES IN OPPOSITE DIRECTIONS TO DRAW A GARMENT DOWNWARDLY BETWEEN THEM, A SERIES OF NOZZLES SPACED LONGITUDINALLY OF SAID BRUSHES WITHIN SAID CASING AND POSITIONED BELOW SAID BRUSHES TO DIRECT JETS OF STEAM AGAINST THE PORTION OF THE GARMENT BELOW THE BRUSHES THEREBY TO HUMIDIFY THE GARMENT AND DISSIPATE STATIC ELECTRICITY THEREIN, SELECTIVELY OPPERABLE MEANS FOR DELIVERING STEAM TO SAID NOZZLES, MEANS FOR APPLYING VACUUM TO THE INTERIOR OF SAID CASING BELOW SAID BRUSHES TO CARRY 